Symes Collins

What Symes Collins does

Symes Collins is a specialist executive search and selection consultancy focused on senior compliance, risk, and governance appointments. The firm operates from London with representative presence in Dublin, Geneva, and Madrid, and executes mandates globally — completing placements in over 30 cities across six continents — across financial services, payments/fintech, professional services, and non-financial regulated sectors (healthcare, pharmaceuticals, telecoms, utilities). Its core offering is retained search for senior roles including Head of Compliance, MLRO, Risk Manager, and related board-level positions, covering permanent, temporary/contract, and part-time engagements.

The firm's product surface is intentionally non-technological: there is no proprietary software platform, applicant tracking system, or AI tooling, and the firm's value is entirely a function of its consultants' personal networks maintained since 1988 and 1994 and their former-practitioner credibility. Founders Gary Collins (formerly of EY and Deutsche Bank's Asset Management division) and David Symes (former Deputy Head of Group Compliance at a FTSE 100 insurer, now part of AXA; Chartered Accountant) lead all mandates, drawing on multi-decade relationships with compliance officers, regulators, and placed candidates across jurisdictions.

Commercially, Symes Collins generates revenue through retained executive search fees structured as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year compensation or as fixed project fees — standard for the executive search industry. The firm is privately held by its founders, with no external investment disclosed, and operates as a sister entity to Compliance Recruitment Solutions (founded 1996), which provides mid-market and contingency compliance recruitment. Marketing and business development are conducted through direct referral networks, conference sponsorship and speaking (including the London Chartered Accountants Compliance Group, co-founded in 1988), and a website listing active searches — no paid digital acquisition channels are used.

Name

Symes Collins

Legal name

Compliance Recruitment Solutions Ltd.

Website

https://symescollins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Symes Collins is a London-based specialist executive search consultancy placing senior compliance, risk, and governance professionals at blue-chip financial institutions and regulated firms globally, run by two former compliance practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Compliance Recruitment

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Finance, Accounting & Audit Staffing (BPACADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

Keywords

• Compliance recruitment
• Executive search
• Risk and governance hiring
• AML recruitment
• Retained search consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search & Selection Fees: Symes Collins operates on a retained search basis, charging clients for discreet search and selection mandates to fill senior compliance, risk, and governance positions. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year remuneration or as a fixed project fee, consistent with the executive search industry standard.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Symes Collins provides specialist global executive search and selection services for senior compliance, risk, and governance roles, operating on a retained basis for blue-chip clients. The firm places permanent, temporary/contract, and part-time hires across functions including Anti Money Laundering, Compliance, Corporate Governance, Data Privacy, Financial Crime, Internal Audit, Prudential & Regulatory Reporting, and Risk. Coverage spans financial services, payments/fintech, professional services, and non-financial regulated sectors across all major continents.

Product overview

Symes Collins is a specialist global search and selection consultancy offering executive compliance recruitment services. It operates as the sister company of Compliance Recruitment Solutions. The core offering consists of Symes Collins Compliance Recruitment Services (the main executive search and selection offering) and Active Searches (a portfolio of discreet senior compliance and governance vacancies). The company recruits for functions including Anti Bribery & Corruption, Anti Money Laundering, Compliance, Corporate Governance, Data Privacy, Financial Crime, Internal Audit, Prudential & Regulatory Reporting, and Risk across Financial Services, Payment Services/Fintechs, Professional Services, and Non-Financial Services sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Symes Collins Compliance Recruitment Services Specialist global executive search and selection consultancy offering retained search mandates for permanent, temporary/contract, and part-time senior compliance, risk, and governance roles. Served to blue-chip clients across Financial Services, Payment Services/Fintechs, Professional Services, and Non-Financial Services sectors.
• Active Searches Discreet executive job listings for senior compliance and governance roles including Head of Compliance, MLRO, Risk Manager, and Compliance Consultant positions across multiple geographies. Available to candidates for browsing and confidential application.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long list of suitable candidates typically produced within 1–2 days of appointment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gresham Hunt: Specialist executive search firm covering compliance, risk, audit, and corporate governance across UK and European financial services — directly comparable for senior compliance/MLRO retained mandates.
• Broadgate Search: London-based specialist recruiter focused on compliance, risk, and financial crime hiring across FS and fintech. Similar niche focus and FS/fintech client overlap makes it a near-direct peer.
• Hydrogen Group: Specialist recruiter operating across compliance, risk, audit, legal, and technology hires in financial services globally. Comparable for FS compliance search mandates and similar client profile.
• Compliance Recruitment Solutions: The sister company of Symes Collins, founded in 1996 by co-founder David Symes; described as 'the oldest and most trusted compliance recruitment agency.' Operates in the same niche (compliance search and contingent placement) with overlapping candidate pools and shared ownership — directly comparable for benchmarking client overlap, fee structures, and market positioning.
• Barclay Simpson: UK-headquartered recruitment firm specialising in risk, compliance, audit, and legal hires within financial services. Direct competitor for the same blue-chip UK FS clients and similar retained-search mandates.
• Carnegie Consulting: Boutique compliance, risk, and audit search firm serving UK and international financial services clients — directly comparable in service lines and target candidate population.
• Marshall McCann (Skye Talent Group): Specialist executive search firm serving UK and international compliance, risk, and financial crime mandates; comparable in scope, candidate seniority, and retained-search business model.

Broad incumbents

• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong UK FS coverage and a dedicated risk & compliance practice; competes for C-suite and board-level compliance mandates that overlap with Symes Collins' senior search work.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with executive search and a dedicated risk & compliance practice; competes with Symes Collins for senior compliance leadership mandates at large enterprises.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services practice; competes for senior compliance and risk officer mandates against Symes Collins from a vastly larger, multi-practice platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/symes-collins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Symes Collins